Zeus Zeus See More Zeus Pictures > Zeus was the god of the sky and ruler of the Olympian gods. He overthrew his father, Cronus , and then drew lots with his brothers Poseidon and Hades , in order to decide who would succeed their father on the throne. Zeus won the draw and became the supreme ruler of the gods, as well as lord of the sky and rain. His weapon was a thunderbolt which he hurled at those who displeased or defied him, especially liars and oathbreakers. He was married to Hera but often tested her patience, as he was infamous for his many affairs. Zeus , the presiding deity of the universe, ruler of the skies and the earth, was regarded by the Greeks as the god of all natural phenomena on the sky; the personification of the laws of nature; the ruler of the state; and finally, the father of gods and men. Using his shield, the Aegis , Zeus could create all natural phenomena related to the air and the sky, such as storms, tempests, and intense darkness.

At his command, mighty thunders would flash and lightnings would roll, wreaking havoc; or the skies would open to rejuvenate the earth with life-giving water. As the personification of the operations of nature, he represented the grand laws of unchanging and harmonious order, by which both the natural and the spiritual world were governed. He was the god of regulated time as marked by the changing seasons and the regular succession of day and night, in contrast to what his father Cronus represented before him; absolute time, i.e. eternity. As the ruler of the state, he was the source of kingly power, the upholder of all institutions connected to the state, and the friend and patron of princes, whom he guarded and assisted with his advice and counsel. He was also the protector of the people, and watched over the welfare of the whole community. As the father of the gods, Zeus ascertained that each deity perform their individual duty, punished their misdeeds, settled their disputes, and acted towards them on all occasions as their all-knowing counsellor and mighty friend. As the father of men, he took a paternal interest in the actions and well-being of mortals .

He watched over them with tender solicitude, rewarding truth, charity, and fairness, while severely punishing perjury and cruelty. Even the poorest and most forlorn wanderer could find a powerful advocate in Zeus , for he, as a wise and merciful paternal figure, demanded that the wealthy inhabitants of the earth be attentive to the needs of their less fortunate fellow citizens. Zeus Is also called Jupiter, Dias. Zeus | Greek god | Britannica.com Greek god Last Updated: 12-12-2007 Zeus, in ancient Greek religion , chief deity of the pantheon, a sky and weather god who was identical with the Roman god Jupiter . His name clearly comes from that of the sky god Dyaus of the ancient Hindu Rigveda . Zeus was regarded as the sender of thunder and lightning, rain, and winds, and his traditional weapon was the thunderbolt. He was called the father (i.e., the ruler and protector) of both gods and men.

Zeus hurling a thunderbolt, bronze statuette from Dodona, Greece, early 5th century bc; in the … Antikenabteilung, Staatliche Museen zu Berlin—Preussischer Kulturbesitz According to a Cretan myth that was later adopted by the Greeks, Cronus , king of the Titans, upon learning that one of his children was fated ... (100 of 627 words) MEDIA FOR: Zeus the Greek God: Facts about Ancient Mythology Posted by Cultural Heritage Tour Guide on Feb 28, 2014 in Greek | 0 comments Zeus the Greek God: Facts about Ancient Mythology Have a look on interesting informative guide on ZEUS is Top God of the Heavens, earth & mankind and Ruler of Olympian gods according to ancient greek myths and legends.. Thousands of years ago lots of people believed inside a god named Zeus. He was regarded as the god of the sky and weather and his image appeared on many Greek coins. The people of Greece worshiped this idol as their god. Zeus became one of the Seven Wonders around the globe.

Zeus had his golden throne around the highest summit of Mount Olympus and was respected and awed by all Gods and mortals. All of the kings boasted that they descended from Zeus. Zeus was the “Lord of Justice“, punishing anybody who lied or broke an oath, but was fair and always striving to keep an equilibrium of all things.Furthermore, Zeus was accountable for the weather and was shaping it based on his temper. When in high spirits, Zeus was blessing the world with fine weather; in case of bad mood, however, he would throw rain, winds, lightnings and thunderbolts to cause disaster to the mortals. History and Family Zeus was the supreme god of gods and Greeks. He was called Jupiter by the Romans and he received that name because it was believed he had exactly the same powers because the Roman god Jupiter! His symbols would be the eagle, the oak tree, the royal sceptre as well as the thunder bolt. Originally he was a god of the skies and high heavens and during the day Greeks thought of him as the only god who concerned himself with the entire universe.Greeks associated Zeus with justice and well-being. He’s thought to have greatly punished the wicked and maldoers and rewarded all of that did good.

Zeus the Greek God Zeus was the sixth child born to Cronus and Rhea, Because Cronus, ruler of the Titans and the supreme god during the time, was afraid that one of his children would overthrow him, much like he overthrew his father, Uranus, he swallowed his first five children – Poseidon, Hades, Hera, Demeter and Hestia. This, obviously, infuriated Rhea and when Zeus was born she tricked Cronus into swallowing a rock wrapped in blankets. Zeus is much more powerful than any other god or even the rest of the gods combined. But, unlike many gods in other religions he was neither omnipotent nor omniscient. He could be, and in reality was, opposed, deceived and tricked by gods and men alike. His power, although great, was not boundless, Zeus had no control of The Fates and Destiny. Like all Greek divinities, Zeus was susceptible to pleasure, pain, grief, and anger, but he was most prone to the power of Eros – love, which often got the objects of his desire in several trouble together with his wife, Hera.

Power, Personality and Appearance Zeus was the strongest of the Greek gods along with a number of powers. His most well-known power is the ability to throw lighting bolts. His winged horse Pegasus carried his lighting bolts and he trained an eagle to retrieve them. He could also control the weather causing rain and huge storms. Zeus was carefree and loved to laugh out loud. He possessed an ideal knowledge and was only, merciful and prudent. However, he was rather unpredictable, since nobody could guess the decisions he will make. Zeus was strong and imposing, with long, oftentimes wavy hair.The symbols of Zeus were the scepter, the throne as well as the thunderbolt, that was as a gift from the Cyclopes because he liberated them. Zeus’ tree was the oak tree and his awesome sacred animal was the eagle. Interesting Myth Facts about Ancient Greek God ZEUS: The Roman same as Zeus is Jupiter. The Olympics were held every year by the Greeks in honor of Zeus. Zeus originally married the Titan Metis, but grew worried she would have a son which was stronger than him. So he swallowed her and married Hera.

Zeus sided with the Trojans in the Trojan War, however, his wife Hera sided with the Greeks. He experienced a powerful shield called the Aegis. Zeus was the keeper of oaths. He punished those who lied or made dishonest business deals. Ancient Greek mythology about God Zeus Share the post "Zeus the Greek God: Facts about Ancient Mythology" Zeus - Ancient Greek God Zeus Zeus Name Unlike many Greek divinities, the origins of Zeus' name are undisputed. "Zeus" is connected with an ancient Indo-European deity Dyeus, which roughly translates as 'sky', 'day' (as opposed to night) and 'clear'. All of these point to his role as a god of the heavens, the sky and thunder. Iconography As the king of the Greek Gods, Zeus has been portrayed endlessly in art, often with specific aspects or symbols to identify him and his purpose. For example, early Classical vase paintings often show him throwing thunderbolts, identifying him as a powerful warrior deity, affiliated with Hephaestus the god of the forge and maker of thunderbolts (see figure 1).

However, as the classical period progressed, it became fashionable to depict Zeus seated on a throne, holding a sceptre, often accompanied by the goddess Nike, thus symbolising his role as king and patriarch of the gods (see figure 2). It is important to note, however, that Zeus was not considered to be a tyrant and literature depicts him as fair and even-handed, especially considering that one of his mani functions was the lord of Justice. Regardless of his specific iconography, Zeus is always portrayed as an imposing man, full-grown and with a beard - indicating his status as experienced patriarch of the Olympian family, as opposed to other male deities such as Apollo and Hermes who are often depicted as young men (ephebes) with no beards; erotically appealing, but not powerful. Zeus' power is further indicated by his symbols of the eagle, the bull and the full-grown oak tree. Birth Before the pantheon of Greek gods we are familiar with ruled atop Olympus, an earlier generation of deities, known as Titans, held power. The ruler of these divine beings was Cronus, son of Gaia (Mother Earth).

Cronus' mother had informed him that he would be usurped by one of his offspring who would be tremendously powerful. Therefore, whenever Cronus' wife Rhea bore a child he would swallow the newborn god to prevent them from overturning his power. Having devoured Hestia, Demeter, Hera, Hades and Poseidon, Cronus was tricked by his wife who, out of love for her child, bore Zeus in secret, while offering a stone wrapped in swaddling clothes to Cronus in place of the baby. Sources disagree as to the upbringing of Zeus, some saying he was raised by Gaia, others by the Nymph Metis, still others maintain that he was brought up by Amalthea the goat! Regardless, all sources agree that when he was fully grown, Zeus returned to mount Olympus to confront his father. Zeus Overturns Cronus Again, sources conflict on the details of the encounter between Zeus and Cronus, some say that Metis administered an emetic drug in order to make Cronus vomit up his devoured children, while others say that Zeus cut open his father's stomach to release his brothers and sisters.

Zeus proceeded to free the Gigantes (100 handed giants), Cyclopes (one eyed giants) and Hecatonchires (three giants each with fifty heads), all the siblings of Cronus whom the tyrant had imprisoned in Tartarus. In thanks for their freedom, the Cyclopes gave Zeus the knowledge of how to craft thunderbolts. Armed with these weapons and aided by his brothers and sisters as well as the freed giants, Zeus waged war on the Titans (this battle is popularly referred to as the Titanomachy). The Titans were overthrown and relegated to Tartarus to be punished for all eternity guarded by the Gigantes. Atlas, however, was singled out for special punishment as he had been the joint-leader of the Titans (with Cronus) and Zeus forced him to bear the weight of the sjk on his shoulders for ever. Not all those of the generation of the Titans sided with Cronus; Oceanus remained neutral, and Promethius is said to have been a great help to Zeus. Having usurped the old gods, Zeus instated himself as the king of Olympus and lord of the sky, delegating domains to his siblings (e.g.

Poseidon was given dominion over the sea and Hades control of the Underworld). The only beings whom Zeus did not claim control over were Destiny and the Fates, who continued to be infallible throughout the reign of Zeus, as can be seen in Homer's Iliad, in which Zeus tells Thetis he cannot save her son's life for he is destined to die. Gigantomachy Following the fall of the Titans, Zeus' grandmother, Gaia, grew angry towards the new order of gods, either because she felt that the Titans were being treated unfairly, or because she felt that she was not being sufficiently honoured in the new Olympian regime. Therefore, in revenge, she gave birth to a race of Giants; hideous creatures, gargantuan in size and nigh-on invincible. Amongst the hordes were famous beasts such as Echidna and Typhon. As soon as they were born, these giants launched an offensive on Mount Olympus, forcing the gods to wage battle yet again. The giants attempted to reach the heavens by stacking the mountains of Thessaly, Ossa and Pelion.

The gods stood against the giants, but would not have won if not for the aid of Athene (who, some sources say, was born in the midst of the battle from Zeus' head) and of Heracles, who struck the death-blow to Alcoyoneus, the leader of the Giants. The Gigantomachy was a popular theme in Classical art, often displayed on temples, such as the east metope of the Athenian Parthenon. Zeus' Wife Having established himself king of the gods, Zeus made his sister Hera his wife and queen (and it is most probably because of this union that Hera is known as the goddess of marriage). Hera is almost always portrayed as Zeus' wife and can barely be considered a major mythological figure in hr own right. She mostly appears as meddling in Zeus' affairs, often exacting fierce revenge on her husband's lovers. A prime example of this is when Zeus fell in love with Io and Hera, in full knowledge of this, forced Zeus to hide the truth by transforming the girl into a cow (Aeschylus' Promethius Bound).

Hera is also known for having viciously attacked Zeus' illegitimate children, most infamously Heracles, who she drove mad and caused to kill his own wife and children. Zeus' Famous Lovers and Children Aside from Hera, Zeus' lovers were many and varied, sometimes his affections falling to goddesses, others to mortal women. As mentioned above, Zeus raped Io, and seems to have had quite a penchant for young girls, going on to have relations with such maidens as Leto (who mothered Helen of Troy), Alcmene (who mothered Heracles), Europa (who mothered Minos and Sarpedon) and many other less notorious affairs are mentioned throughout the mythological tradition. These women and children Hera was able to persecute, however, when Zeus chose to lay with a goddess her ability to punish was limited, and Zeus chose to lay with a goddess reasonably often. Amongst his divine lovers were Leto (mother of Apollo and Artemis), Mnemosyne (who gave birth to the nine Muses), Dione (mother of Aphrodite) and Demeter (who bore Persephone).

It has been theorised that these relationships went unpunished as they were in some way universal and natural - Guerber suggests that as Zeus was the god of the sky, his affairs with such beings as Dione (moisture) were symbolic and no different from his relationship with Juno (the atmosphere). It can thus be seen that Zeus' affairs with women were many and almost always resulted in a child. Zeus' love, however, was not restricted to women, as illustrated by the famous instance of Zeus, who was besotted with a beautiful youth names Ganymede, abducting the boy and carrying him up to Olympus to be the immortal cup-bearer to the gods and his consort. Although this kind of behaviour could be seen as outrageous in today's society, the Athenian practice of pederasty (in which an older male citizen would take under his wing a young man/ephebe in order to introduce him into the ways of adult society while conducting a sexual relationship) was common and a more or less essential part of a young man's pubescence.

Thus, in this myth, Zeus can be seen to be taking on the role not of lecherous rapist as in the case of his relationships with mortal women, but of a mature, responsible citizen male, inducting a naive boy into the ways of the society of the gods. Zeus and Mankind The regard in which Zeus held man is unclear, as different myths involving Zeus' relationship and encounters with humankind offer varied evidence. For example, in the famous myth of Promethius and Pandora, Zeus forbids man to be given fire as Zeus wishes to keep it for the gods and to prevent humans from advancing by gaining the methods with which to cook food, forge tools and keep warm. When Promethius disobeyed this decree by stealing a spark of divine fire and giving it to men, Zeus chained the titan and punished him by having an eagle peck out his liver every day. Not satisfied with punishing Promethius, Zeus also had his fellow gods craft the first woman, Pandora, and gave her to the world with a box she was never to open. However, Zeus had given her intense curiosity, thus leading to her being unable to follow instruction and opening the box, releasing all the evils of the world to plague mankind.

While this story would suggest Zeus had great animosity towards mankind on the whole, it seems as though later in the development of the human race Zeus' feelings softened, as displayed by the story of Philemon and Baucis. According to Guerber's version of the myth, Zeus would often visit earth, assuming some disguise, and visit men in order to ascertain the state of the world first-hand. One day, Zeus deigned to visit the poor but pious couple Philemon and Baucis. When Zeus arrived in the guise of a mortal, the couple were eager to show hospitality according to the laws of xenia (a specific code of guest-friendship dictating how to care for a guest, incidentally Zeus was the guardian of strangers and the enforcer of xenia) and they chose to kill their last goose to feed their guest. Seeing their generosity Zeus revealed himself and granted them both long life in the service of the gods as was their wish, and when they died Zeus transformed them both into oak trees who stood in front of his temple for centuries.

Zeus' Cult Although, as the major god of the Greek pantheon, Zeus had cult sites all over Greece, his largest and most famous panhellenic precinct was at Olympia. It was at this site that the Ancient Olympic games originated, and men from all over Greece would collect there in order to compete against each other for their own honour and that of their city state. These games were highly politicised, with often warring cities competing against each other for the glory and prestige of victory. In fact, although it was normal for panhellenic precincts to have treasuries in which to keep the votive offerings of different cities, the treasuries at Olympia were situated on the main road through the site, thus encouraging gifts as no city wanted to be shown-up by their neighbours for not having given sufficient gifts. The temple of Zeus at Olympia was the home of the famous statue of Zeus (see Figure 2) now lost, it was one of the wonders of the ancient world and Pausanias (an ancient Greek travel writer) urges any visitor to Olympia to experience it.

The cult site of Olympia may have been the largest in existence, but there were other sites all over Greece, each with slightly different ideas about Zeus, his role and how one should worship him. For instance, Herodotus tells us that Zeus was often perceived as a weather god, and thus his worship was often concentrated on mountaintops, close to the sky. The most important of Zeus' mountain-sites was, of course, Mount Olympus, although there is no archaeological evidence for a peak-sanctuary, it is likely there was either some sort of precinct on the mountainside, or that Olympian rituals were carried out there. Such sanctuaries have, however, been excavated elsewhere, e.g. on Mount Hymettus, and it appears as though these were mostly associated with rain rituals. Albeit rarely, Zeus is sometimes referred to in ritual contexts as 'he who signals' or 'he of the omens', thus suggesting that he performed some sort of Oracular role. As Zeus was an embodiment of Fate amongst other things, it seems appropriate that he be asked for omens rather than specific divine favours as no amount of prayer will enable Zeus to go against the course of Fate.

This aspect of Zeus is further illustrated by a few oracular sites, at Dodona in Epirus (reported to be the oldest oracle in the Greek world, active until the late Hellestic eraas well as at Siwa in Egypt. Hornblower states that the priests of the oracle would interpret messages given by the god, in the forms of the flight paths of birds in and around the holy oak trees, divination by drawing lots (cleromancy), by the sounds of a gong and/or the song of nearby birds. As mentioned above, Zeus was traditionally represented as a fully grown man. The cult on Crete, however, appears to have worshipped Zeus as an ephebe as all the art depicting him shows a long-haired youth on the verge of manhood. Zeus' Numerous roles Zeus, like most of the gods of the Greek pantheon, had many roles and epithets aside from his main function as weather god and king of Olympus. His title Zeus Panhellenios shows his applicability to all of Greece as it literally translates as "Zeus of all the Hellenes".

As mentioned above, Zeus was the lord and enforcer of Xenia, leading to him having the name of Zeus Xenios, the patron deity of hospitality, guest-friendship and punisher of all those who violated the laws of xenia. In addition, Zeus Agoraios kept watch over business dealings at the marketplace (agora) and was ready to punish rogues, thieves and unfair traders. A further aspect of Zeus was as the keeper of oaths and punisher of those who violated those oaths. As a result, oaths were often sworn by 'almighty Zeus' and people who violated the terms of their oaths were made to Zeus the man? Euhemerism is the method of interpretation which seeks to rationalise the fantastical in order to make it more understandable and hopefully reveal an indication as to the truth behind such stories.

The founder of this school of thought, Euhemerus, proposed the idea that Zeus was not a god at all, but rather that he was a king, who had been glorified after his death, probably with some sort of extravagant funerary monument, and his fame had led to the stories of his life being distorted until he was eventually turned into a deity in the minds of subsequent generations. Meet Zeus - the Supreme God of Ancient Greeks Growing Up Rhea deceives her husband Gaia and Uranus, eager to help their distressed daughter, quietly sent her to Lyktos in Crete. There, in the dead of night, gave birth to Zeus and immediately turned him over to her mother Gaia. Gaia hid her grandchild in a cave on Mount Dicte and nourished him with food and love. Meanwhile, Rhea returned to Cronus bearing a large stone, concealed in clothes. Cronus, without bothering to examine the bundle more thoroughly, swallowed it whole. The god grew up in Crete, in the care of the ash nymphs Adrasteia and Io and the goat nymph Amaltheia, who nursed him with her own milk.

By the time he attained manhood, the father of gods had become invincibly strong and swift. As the myth goes, as a show of gratitude for her nurturing, Zeus later transformed the goat nymph Amaltheia onto the constellation Capricorn. He also fashioned one of her horns into the famed Cornucopia. This "horn of plenty" always contains the food or drink that his or her owner desires. What's more, no matter how much anyone takes from it, the Cornucopia never becomes empty. Clash of the Titans Clash of the Titans (Delphi Museum) Not all of the Titans chose to fight against Zeus and his allies, fearing that they would be overwhelmed by their power. In fact, of the original twelve Titans, only five, all males, decided to side with their brother Cronus. The second generation of titans-the children of the original Titans-, had their reservations to get involved, as well. Helius refused to take sides, remaining neutral, while Prometheus and Epimetheus, the children of Iapetus, did not support their father and sided with Zeus and the rest of their cousins, instead. The outcome of war Statue of Atlas (Naples Museum) The war did not resolve itself swiftly.

After all, it was a fierce battle between the mighty Titans and the all powerful children of Cronus and the outcome was very hard to predict. The daily clashes and combats lasted for a whole ten years, with no obvious sign of retreat from any of the two sides. Heeding an oracle decreed by his grandmother Gaia which said that the balance of the war would tip in his favor if he forged an alliance with the mighty hundred handed giants and the Cyclopes, Zeus headed straight to Tartarus to set them free. As soon as all six of them were set free, the giants contrived new weapons, which would definitely tilt the balance of war: For Zeus, the Cyclopes forged thunder and lightning To Hades, the Cyclopes offered the helmet of darkness, a magical hood that makes its wearer invisible For Poseidon, they forged a trident, which would become the emblem of the future god of the sea. Thanks to the new reinforcements, the army of Cronus's children finally managed to crush their opposition. In order to eliminate any possibility of any resurgence of the hostilities in the future, Zeus decided to keep all the Titans under lock and key in the darkest depths of Tartarus.

In addition, the three hundred handed giants stood watch outside the walls of Tartarus. The only titan that escaped eternal punishment was Atlas, the son of Iapetus and brother of Prometheus and Epimetheus. In the course of the war, Atlas was assigned as successor of Cronus in the leadership of the Titans. For him. Zeus reserved a special kind of punishment: The god placed Atlas at the westernmost end of the earth and ordered him to lift up the sky and bear the weight of the heavens forevermore on his head and shoulders. As for his supporters-the six Titanesses, Oceanus, Prometheus and Epimetheus-, Zeus rewarded them by letting them retain their places of honor and their functions. By remembering his supporters, Zeus made sure that his reign-unlike those of his father and grandfather-would last forever. The battle of the Giants Athena crushing Engeladus To Zeus's dismay, his toils with his enemies did not seem to end with the Titans. He had to face another group of formidable adversaries, the mighty Giants who according to the Creation Myth, had sprung from the blood of the castrated genitals of Uranus.

These, more than one hundred in total, were super human monsters, had long hair and long beards which covered their reptilian scales. However, unlike the Titans, these were not immortal. According to the myth, these Giants were persuaded into revolting by Gaia, who became enraged when she saw the cruel punishment that her grandson had inflicted on her sons, the Titans. Following an old prophecy which decreed that the Giants would be defeated if the gods allied themselves with a mortal, Zeus sought the assistance of Hercules to fend off his opponents. The final clash with the Giants took place in Phlegra, an area of the northern Halkidiki peninsula. According to the myth, Aphrodite used her beauty to deceive the Giants into following her into a cave, where Hercules killed them all by crushing them beneath huge rocks, where they exploded and caused volcanic eruptions. Athena's help played also a significant role in the overall victory. After a long standing wrestle, she pinned down the mighty Giant Engeladus beneath the island of Sicily in Italy. She also killed Pallas and used his skin to make her shield.

After all the Giants were finally defeated, the ruler of Olympus was left but with one enemy: The monster Typhoeus, Gaia's last child from her union with Tartarus. This was a hundred headed giant that spewed flames and let out high pitched cries. He was taller than the highest mountains and his entire body was covered in feathers. Typhoeus was married to Echidna, a monster who was half nymph and half snake. She gave birth to their monster children Chimaira, Lerna Hydra and the hounds Orthus and Cerberus. After an adventurous and fearsome battle with all the Olympians which covered a wide span of area from Greece to the northern shores of Egypt, Typhoeus was finally subdued and ended up in the island of Sicily, where he was crushed under Mount Aetna. His third alleged bride was Themis's sister Mnemosyne (Memory), with whom he lay for nine nights, to give birth to the nine Muses (sources of inspiration and lesser gods of the sky) . With his sister Demeter, he had Persephone who, against her mother's wishes, she would later become the Queen of the Underworld.

He also lay with Leto, daughter of the Titans and Phoebe, with whom he fathered the Olympians Apollo and Artemis. With Oceanus's daughter Eurynome, Zeus fathered the Charites (Graces). These were Aglaia (meaning "beauty" or "splendor"), Euphrosyne (meaning "the quality of having a good heart") and Thalia (meaning "thriving abundance"). Zeus, Greece,Greek mythology father of the Gods Zeus Zeus the Father of the Greek Gods Zeus is the father of all the gods and humans, he is the most senior of the Olympian gods Master of the Heavens and Lord of the Universe. He was a third generation god. His grandmother was Gaea the first mother and he was the youngest child of the first race of deities, his parents being Cronus and Rhea. He escaped the fate of his brothers and sisters of being swallowed by his father and was brought up in secret by the Nymph, Neda and the wives of the Corybands, Idaeon, Andron, dictaie and Melliai who were assisted by Adrastea and the goat Amalthea.

He led the younger generation of gods in the battles against the older race of Titans and afterwards the Giants and finally conquered the mighty serpent Typhon to win his position of King of all the Gods. As king, Zeus created the world from scratch and after Prometheus’ attempt to help mankind, created a new race of humans that did not have the arrogance of the old human race but instead honoured their gods. He did this by sending a tremendous flood to the world with only Deucalion and Pyrrha surviving, then allowing them to create new humans from the rocks that they threw behind them. He was married to Hera although he is known for his erotic philanderings, endless abductions and seductions of other women, appearing as either human or an animal to trick women to lay with him. He fathered many children, some godly but others heroic semi-gods. These included Athena, Aphrodite, Apollo, Artemis, Hermes, Persephone, Dionysus, Perseus, Heracles, Helen (of Troy), Minos, the Muses, Ares, Hebeand and Hephaestus.

By fathering a whole generation of gods and semi-divine heroes he usurped the powr of procreation from the Mother Goddess, Gaea. As guarantor for the order and harmony of the world he would avenge and exterminate any god that went against him and upset this harmony. He was, however, also a protector and a fair god, who judged the actions of both gods and mortals with compassion. He protected the states and defended cities during wars. He granted freedom to those who were under his protection, protected the homes of humans, their peace and safeguarded the institution of marriage and friendship. Besides caring for families he protected the poor, strangers and refugees. He also was responsible for the climate and the changes in weather, sending rain to make the fields fertile. His symbols of the eagle and the thunderbolt were linked to his powers with the eagle being the sacred bird which flies higher in the sky than any other bird and faster than everything but lightening. As well as these two symbols the oak tree is sacred to Zeus and in Zeus’ oracle in Dodona, Epirus, an oak tree was in the centre of the temple and the priests would divine the god’s pronouncements by interpreting the rustling of its leaves.

Finally, the bull is a sacred animal that symbolizes Zeus. The god took the form of a white bull when he seduced the mortal Europa and in his seduction of Io, changed her into a heifer to conceal her from his jealous wife Hera. As the sky god Zeus had easy access to the women of the world and took full advantage of it. Also, his power as a supreme god made him difficult to resist. Prior to his marrage to Hera he was married first to Metis, then Themis. He was interested in Demeter but she resisted him. His third wife was Mnemosyne. Zeus was the most powerful god. He had overturned his father Cronus and seized power, and everything was ultimately in his hands. Zeus was a weather god, as well as the protector of the law, the state, the society, the city, the family and strangers. According to the myth, Zeus was the son of Cronus and Rea and born in Crete. He was the God of all gods and belonged to the second generation of the gods of Olympus.

The story told is that before the birth of Zeus, Cronus was told by an oracle that one of his children would seize his power and so, rather then let this happen, he murdered all his children by eating them. His wife, Rea, determined not to let this happen again on the birth of the baby Zeus, tricked Cronus by presenting him with a rock disguised as a newborn wrapped in swaddling clothes. She then sought refuge in a cave on top of Mt. Dikti in Crete to give birth to her baby. Soon after this, the infant was moved to another lonely cave, Idaion Andro on Mt. Idi where he was raised by Nymphs and was suckled by a goat, Amalthia. In order that Cronus should be kept in ignorance about his secret son, the baby,s cries were drowned out by the giant gods, the kourites who created a cacophony by beating on their drums and singing loudly. When Zeus became an adult, he defeated his father and so became the king of the Gods. All the other Olympian gods were either his siblings or his children. His wife was Hera but he had countless trysts with other goddesses as well as mortal women.

One of these mortals was Europa whom he brought to Crete. The rock that tricked his father was put in Delphi to remind all mortals and gods of his magnificence. Zeus main shrine was in Dodona, where it was believed one could hear the future being told by the wind blowing through the the leafs of the holy oak trees that grew there. In Olympia he was honoured every four years with the Olympic Games and Phidias statue of him there was considered one of the seven wonders of the ancient world. The Nemean Games were also held in his honour. The birds, especially the eagle, were believed to be Zeus messengers and so his priests were careful to try and foretell the future through the birds flight. Mountains were often named after Zeus and still today there are mountains of Zeus all over Greece, for example on Crete and Naxos. On Crete Zeus was especially worshipped since it was believed he grew up there, in hiding from his father who would have eaten him had he known of Zeus existence. On Crete his worshippers believed he was born there, and that he also died there. There was even a tomb there said to be his.

The name Zeus is believed to originate in the Sanskrit dyaus which means heaven. The ancient Greeks also called him Dias, and this name has through the Latin Deus become a common word for God in many languages. Apart from being the highest God, Zeus was also a mischievous one. Constantly unfaithful to his jealous wife and sister Hera, Zeus had many children with other women, both mortal and immortal. With Hera he had Ares, Hebe, Hephaestus and Eileithyia. In the guise of a swan he had seduced queen Leda of Sparta, and she bore Helen of Troy and Polydeukes as a result. As a bull he kidnapped the Phoenician princess Europa and she gave birth to Minos and Rhadamanthus.. With the goddess of memory Mnemosyne he became the father of the nine muses and with other goddesses and mortal women he had amongst others Apollo, Artemis, Dionysus and Heracles. He was also the sole parent of Athena, whose remarkable birth had happened after Zeus had suffered a terrible headache.

Hephaistus then hit him over the head with a sledgehammer, and out of Zeus head sprung the goddess, fully grown and in armor. Not only women were his victims. The young Trojan prince Ganymedes was kidnapped by Zeus and taken to Mount Olympus, where he was made the servant of the gods. Zeus and Europa Europa was a Phoenician princess, the daughter of the Aginor the king of Tyre (modern day Lebanon), and his queen, Telephassa. According to the legend, Zeus fell in love with her after watching her playing on a beach with her friends. In order to lure her back to Crete he turned himself into a fabulous but amiable white bull with golden horns and, the unsuspecting but foolish, Europa climbed upon his back to frolic in the waves. However, once she was astride he rushed into the sea and carried her off to Crete. As a gesture of his love for her he gave her a quiver of arrows that never failed in hitting their target, a golden dog as a guardian angel and the giant Talos to protect the island.

It is claimed that the consummation of their love was in the area of Gortys, under a plane tree which then became evergreen. Alternatively, it was at Diktaion Andron where their bridal bed was prepared by nymphs. They had three sons: Radamanthys, Sarpedon and Minos (who later became king). Unfortunately the faithless Zeus grew tired of her and passed her on to Asterionas, the king of Crete, who married her and took on her children. On her death, the Cretans paid tribute to her memory by naming one of the earth's continents after her. In Rome Zeus was worshipped under the name Jupiter.

He also had the following epithats: Acraeus, Actaeus, Aeneius, Aethipos, Agamemnon, Agetor, Agoraeus, Ambulius, Ammon, Anchesmius, Apemius, Apesantius, Aphesius, Apomyius, Arbius, Areius, Astrapaeus, Atabyrius, Athous, Basileus, Bolaeus, Cappotas, Caraos, Carius, Cassius, Catharsius, Cenaeus, Charmon, Cithaeronius, Clarius, Coccygius, Conius, Cosmetas, Croceatas, Ctesius, Cynthius, Dictaeus, Dodonais, Eleutherius, Epacrius, Epidotes, Euanemus, Genethlius, Hecaleius, Hecatombaeus, Hetaareius, Homagyrius, Homarius, Homoloius, Horceius, Hyetius, Hymettus, Hypatus, Hypsistus, Icmaeus, Ithomatas, Laphystius, Larissaeus, Lecheates

, Leucaeus, Lycaeus, Lycoreus, Maemactes, Mechaneus, Meilichius, Messapeus, Moiragetes, Morius, Nemeius, Ombrius, Olympius, Panhellenius, Parnethius, Phyxius, Phratrios, Plusius, Poleius, Scotitas, Semaleos, Soter, Teleius, Thaulius, Thenatias, Tropaeus Copyright © 2012 in2greece.com.

All rights reserved. The Creation The Creation See More The Creation Pictures > In the beginning there was only Chaos . Then out of the void appeared Erebus , the unknowable place where death dwells, and Night. All else was empty, silent, endless, dark. Then, Love was born bringing along the beginning of order. From Love emerged Light, followed by Gaea , the earth. Erebus slept with Night, eventually giving birth to Ether , the heavenly light, and to Day, the earthly light. Then, Night alone created Doom, Fate, Death, Sleep, Dreams, Nemesis , and all things that dwell in the darkness haunting mankind. Meanwhile, Gaea alone gave birth to Uranus , the sky. Uranus became Gaea 's husband, surrounding her on all sides. Together, they produced the three Cyclopes , the three Hecatoncheires , and twelve Titans . However, Uranus was a cruel father and husband. He hated the Hecatoncheires and imprisoned them by pushing them into the hidden places of the earth, Gaea 's womb. This angered Gaea and she plotted against Uranus . She made a flint sickle and tried to get her children to attack Uranus .

All were too afraid, except the youngest Titan, Cronus . Gaea and Cronus set up an ambush of Uranus as he lay with Gaea at night. Cronus grabbed his father and castrated him with the sickle, throwing the severed genitals into the ocean. It is unclear as to what happened to Uranus afterwards; he either died, withdrew from the earth, or exiled himself to Italy. As he departed, he promised that Cronus and the Titans would be punished. From the blood that was spilled on the earth due to his castration, emerged the Giants , the Ash Tree Nymphs , and the Erinnyes . From the sea foam that was produced when his genitals fell in the ocean, emerged Aphrodite . Cronus became the next ruler. He imprisoned the Cyclopes and the Hecatoncheires in Tartarus . He married his sister Rhea , and had many children. He ruled for many ages; however, Gaea and Uranus both had prophesied that Cronus would be eventually overthrown by a son. To avoid this, Cronus swallowed all of his children as they were born. Rhea was angry at the treatment of the children and plotted against Cronus .

When it was time to give birth to her sixth child, Rhea hid herself, then she left the child to be raised by nymphs. To conceal her act she wrapped a stone in swaddling cloths and passed it off as the baby to Cronus , who swallowed it. This child was Zeus . He grew into a handsome youth at the island of Crete . He consulted Metis on how to defeat Cronus . She prepared a drink for Cronus designed to make him vomit the other children. Rhea convinced Cronus to accept his son and Zeus was allowed to return to Mount Othrys (the base of the Titans) as Cronus 's cupbearer, giving him the opportunity to serve Metis ' potion to Cronus . The plan work perfectly and the other five children emerged out of Cronus . As gods, they were unharmed and thankful to their youngest brother, they made him their leader. Cronus was yet to be defeated though. He and the Titans , except Prometheus , Epimetheus , and Oceanus , fought to retain their power; this led to the War between the Titans and the Olympians called Titanomachy .

Atlas became their leader in battle and it looked for some time as though they would win and put the young gods down. However, Zeus was cunning; he went to Tartarus and freed the Cyclopes and the Hecatoncheires . Prometheus joined Zeus as well. He returned to battle with his new allies; the Cyclopes provided Zeus with lightning bolts for weapons; the Hecatoncheires were armed with boulders, waiting in an ambush. At the right time, Zeus retreated drawing the Titans into the Hecatoncheires 's ambush, who rained down hundreds of boulders with such a fury that the Titans thought the mountains were falling on them. They ran away, leaving Zeus victorious. Zeus exiled the Titans who had fought against him into Tartarus , with the exception of Atlas , who being the leader of the opposing force, was punished to hold the universe on his shoulders. However, even after this victory, Zeus was not safe. Gaea , angry that her children had been imprisoned, gave birth to her last child, Typhon . Typhon was the deadliest monster in Greek mythology and was known as the "Father of All Monsters".

He was so fearsome that most of the gods fled; however, Zeus faced the monster and flinging his lighting bolts was able to kill it. Typhon was buried under Mount Etna in Sicily. Much later, Zeus faced a final challenge set by the Giants . They went so far as to attempt to invade Mount Olympus , piling mountain upon mountain in an effort to reach the top. Nevertheless, the gods had already grown strong, and with the help of Heracles , the Giants were subdued and killed. The Creation Is also called Theogony.

Question: According to Greek mythology, who was the father of Zeus?
Answer: CRONUS